Pedestal-extension-table lock.



No. 747,132. PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903. G. S. BURTON.

PEDESTAL EXTENSION TABLE LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1903. RENEWED NOV. 11 1903.

NO MODEL.

Patented i'jecember 15, 1903.

lliviirnn Frames PATENT @rrron.

CHARLES S. BURTON, OF OAKPARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EMIL TYDEN,

, OF HASTINGS, MICHIGAN.

P EDESTAL EXTENSEON TABLE LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,132, dated December 15, 1903.

Application filed March 10, 1903. Renewed November 11, 1903. Serial No. 180,780. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. BURTON, a citizenof the United States,residing at No. 328 Wisconsin avenue, Oakpark, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pedestal-Extension-Table Locks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved device for locking together the separable members of a table.

It consists of the features of construction which are set out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a table embodying my invention,showing the two members of the table slightly separated. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the table members closed together. Fig. 3 is a detail section at the line 3 3 on Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail section at the line at 4 on Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail section ,at the line 5 5 on Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3,showing a modified form of the device. Fig. 7 is a similar view showing a still further modification.

Upon one of the pedestal members 1 there is journaled a vertical rock-shaft 2, which extends substantially the whole height of the pedestal and at each end has a lever-arm of the nature of ah ook. The hook 4 at the upper end engages a stud 5, which may be conveniently mounted on the table-top or on the upper end of the pedestal, or, as illustrated, consist of a bolt or short rod extending across the space from the table-top to the pedestal and secured to both of those parts. The hook 6 at the lower end engages a stud 7, suitably secured to the bottom of the pedestal, and this hook is curved or deflected between its ends to avoid the center leg 7. The ends of both the hooks are sloped, as seen at 8 8, to give them a wedging or crowding engagement with their respective studs, so that the table members may be drawn together by forcing the pedestal eXtensiona into and out of engagement. In order that they may not easily slip out of engagement,

notwithstanding theprovision by which they crowd the tables together in coming into engagement, each hook is formed at the inner end of the sloped edge or nose, so as to afford a seat 11 forthe stud, from which it cannot bedislodged by the tendency of the table members to separate, so that the lateral swing of the hooks caused by the rocking of the rockshaft is necessary to efiect disengagement.

Modifications of this structure adapted to operate to draw the table members together more stronglythat is, to overcome greater resistance to closing up than that above described are illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The modification consists in forming the hooks or lever-arms ofthe rock-shaft with a joint adapting them to fold or double after their encounter With the studs by the swinging movement of said lever-arms as the shaft is rocked, so that the portion of said arms rigid with the rock-shaft operates as a lever-arm, while the remainder operates as a link to draw the parts together as the lever-arm portion is further moved by the rocking of the shaft. I have shown two forms of this modification. In the first form (shown in Fig. 6) a joint is formed at 12 between the two parts 4 and 4, together constituting the complete hook or lever-arms for engaging the stud on the opposite member of the table, a stop 13 being provided on the part 4 to prevent folding in one direction, and a spring 14 being secured at the opposite side of the part 4;, which bears upon the link part 4 to yieldingly resist the folding of the joint in the other direction and straighten the joint when thus folded. WVhen the shaft 2 is rocked in direction to carry the hook 15 at the end of the part 4 against the stud 5, the continuance of rocking movement in the same direction ca uses the joint to be folded, flexing the spring 14, as seen in dotted line in Fig. 6, and in this action it Will be seen that the portion 4 op- 5 pedestal is precisely the same in respect to the parts just described, and the illustration IOO of the parts 4 and t", stop 13, and spring 14 may be understood'as relating to the bottom, as well as the top locking device. To secure the rock-shaft against rocking back and releasing the parts when they are drawn together by this device, the link 10 is secured in any convenient manner near the edge of the table when the parts are at the position at which the joint 12 is folded, as shown in dotted line in Fig. 6. A convenient device for thus looking it consists of the lever 16, fulcrumed on the under side of the table and having the link 10 connected to it at the point 17, which is carried beyond the fulcrum by the movement which draws the table parts together, and the lever being stopped at a point at which the line of strain of the link 10 passes just above the lever-fulcrum it is locked against any return movement until the operator throws it down from such locked position. I do not limit myself to this means of securing the device in locked position. Any means of releasa bly fastening the link after it has pulled the parts to locked position may be employed.

A slight modification of this structure shown in Fig. 7 dispenses with any means of securing the operating-link 10. In this last modification the lever-arm 4 extends from the rock-shaft in a direction trending back obliquely from the opposite table member when the book 4* is extended to the position adapting it as the shaft rocks to collide with the stud 5, and as the shaft is rocked farther in thesame direction, causing the hook to draw the table members together, the arm 4* passes behind the rock-shaft, so that the stress of drawing and holding the parts of the table closed operates in a line just beyond the axis of the shaft from the side from which the lever-arm 4 has moved, any convenient stop being provided to prevent the lever-arm 4* from swinging farther in the same direction, causing it to be locked at that position. The shaft itself may aiford such stop, the hook 4 which operates as the link, being shaped so as to permit the necessary amount of movement to carry the pivot to lockin g position, above described, and to stop against the shaft when that position is reached and being provided with a spring 14*, which operates in a manner similar to the spring 14. (Shown in Fig. 6.) In this construction the rod 10 is pulled toward the end of the table for locking and thrust inward for unlocking.

I claim- 1. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the separable members, comprising their respective pedestal members, devices for engaging and drawing together the two table members, located respectively at the upper and at the lower part of the pedestal, said devices comprising each two cooperating'elements, one on each member, and a vertically-disposed rod or bar connecting the two elements at the upper and lower part of one pedestal member, and means for moving said rod or bar to effect engagement of said elements with the cooperating-elements of the other member and movement of the same in direction for drawing the table members together.

2. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the separable table members comprising their respective pedestal members, devices for engaging and drawing together the two table members at the top and bottom of the pedestal, said devices comprising each two cooperating elements, one on each member; a vertical rock-shaft connecting and actuating the two elements at the top and bottom of one pedestal member, and means for rocking the shaft to effect engagement and disengagement of the cooperating elements at both ends.

3. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the separable table members comprising their respective pedestal members,devices for engaging and drawing together the table members at both top and bottom of the pedestal, each of said devices comprising two cooperating elements, one on 'each member; a vertical rock-shaft on one member connecting and actuating the two cooperating elements on said member at the top and bottom thereof, saidelements thus connected each comprising a lever-arm jointed and adapted to fold in horizontal plane at a short distance from the shaft, and provided with a spring tending to resist the folding, such lever-arm having at the outer extremity a hook for engaging the cooperating element on the other member; means for rocking the shaft to bring the arm against said cooperating element, adapted to continue such rocking to fold the arm, whereby the outer element thereof operates as a link and draws the table members together, and means for releasably securing the rock-shaft against reverse rotation.

4:. In a pedestal extension-table, in combination with the'separable members comprising their respective pedestal members, a vertical rock-shaft mounted on one pedestal member devices at the top and bottom of the podestal for connecting the two members together, each comprising two cooperating elements, one on the rock-shaft and the other on the opposite member, the element on the rock-shaft comprising a lever-arm of such shaft trending from the shaft obliquely away from the parting plane between the members; a link connected to such arm, and means for holding it extending from the arm in direction to collide with the cooperating element on the other member as the shaft is rocked, adapted to yield with respect to the arm as the rocking of the shaft continues after such collision, and the link having at the enda hook for engaging said cooperating element, means for rocking the shaft in direction to carry the arm back from said oblique position to and just beyond a, position at which my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, at the pedestal connection of the link is at the Chicago, Illinois, this 27th day of January, oppositeside of the shaft from the hook en- A. D. 1903.

gagement with the cooperating element on CHARLES S. BURTON. 5 the other member, and means for stopping it In presence of-- at such position. M. GERTRUDE ADY,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set FREDK. G. FISCHER. 

